Morgana's Bane
by Dark whisper17
Summary: Merlin isn't the only one to be destined to protect Arthur. Isowen is a young sorceress who is born with a similar destiny to Merlin's, but there's something more. Who is this girl who appears one morning in the woods to Merlin, Arthur, and the knights? And what does she have to do with Merlin and Arthur's future? Merlin/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so please no flames. Read and review, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Merlin. **

_Ten Years Earlier_

"Ophie, why can't I play outside with the other children?" The seven year old girl asked as she looked longingly out of the window of the cottage.

Beside the girl stood a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties with dark blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She looked down at the dark haired child fondly and patted the top of her head. The girl often asked her such questions, and it nearly broke her heart as she gave a similar answer to every one.

"You are not like them, my dear Isowen. It would be unfair to the others if you were to play games with them." She tugged at the little girl's arm gently. "Come, let us practice some more." She pulled her away from the window and back to the kitchen table where several books lay open waiting to be read.

Isowen groaned. "Why do I always have to practice? It's no fun." She pouted sullenly at her guardian.

The older woman chuckled and knelt in front of her ward to look in the little girl's violet eyes. "One day you will understand. One day, you will be the greatest sorceress to ever live. But for now, you must work. If not, then your destiny will not be fulfilled."

_Now_

Isowen smiled to herself as she placed supper on the table for herself and Ophelia. It was a very special day, and she had just barely kept herself in control of her excitement all day. Last time she had been this excited about something she had accidentally exploded a water jug. Seventeen long years she had waited for this day, anticipating the moment when it would arrive. Glee overcame her as she simply thought about it. Today was the day she would be told her prophecy.

The doorknob shook, causing Isowen's excitement to rise exponentially. She stared impatiently as the door swung open and a woman stepped inside the cottage. But it was not the person she had been expecting. Confusion took over her as the woman who had just entered made her way toward her with hurried steps and a worried look on her face. Isowen knew with one glance that something was terribly wrong. Ophelia should have been there, not this woman.

"May I help you?" Isowen asked the unknown woman, apprehension evident in her voice. She was not a fan of strange people coming into her home unannounced.

The woman shook her head. "It is I who is here to help you." She said in a raspy voice. Holding out her hand, she gave Isowen a sealed roll of parchment. With a raised eyebrow Isowen took it and examined the seal on the paper.

"Mistress Ophelia sent me to give you this. She said that you must open it only when you know for certain you are safe. For now, you must flee before Morgana finds you."

Morgana. The name was one that bode no good will to anyone within the realm of King Arthur. Everyone knew of the corruptness that ruled the sorceress' spirit, her thirst for the king's blood, and her lust for Camelot's throne. There was nothing that she wouldn't do to take the throne. The question in Isowen's mind was why Morgana would be searching for her.

She asked as much to her guardian's messenger. The woman shook her head in ignorance. "I know not why she seeks you out, only that she does. Save yourself from her clutches while there is still time to escape." She gave a sympathetic glance to the girl before turning her back and leaving as abruptly as she had come.

Isowen wasted no time in scarfing down her food and packing a knapsack with clothes, valuables, and essentials. If she knew one thing, it was to heed Ophelia's warnings as if her life depended on it. Throwing on a black cloak, she gave one last glance around the small cottage she called home and slipped out the door into the night.

The autumn air was cool on Isowen's skin as she crept silently though the little village. It seemed to whisper tales of danger to her as she passed by cottages and shops, entreating her to avoid all notice. Luckily, few people were ever out at night for fear of what may come out of the nearby forest, leaving Isowen essentially alone in the darkness. She slipped into the woods unseen and unheard, much to her pleasure. The fewer the people who knew of her plight the better. She would need her departure to remain unknown for as long as possible so as to avoid notice of Morgana.

Distant howls of wolves and the sound of insects were the only sounds that reached Isowen's ears as she traversed through the dark forest. A simple spell had allowed for her to see in the darkness, keeping her on her, albeit virtually nonexistent, path and out of harm via running into a tree. She met no one and saw nothing unusual during her trek, save a several day old fire pit made by some previous travelers. Of course, no humans would dare wander around in the forest at night, for there were creatures that lived there that struck fear into even the strongest of men. Isowen, however, found the ancient woods to be a comfort, much like her own home was. No animals so much as crossed her path as she walked for what seemed like ages, but could have been no more that an hour or two. Of course, that all would change soon enough.

The first sign of the creature was the almost imperceptible sound of feathers sliding against each other, followed by soft footsteps. Next came the sight of a silvery horse tail flicking in and out of sight behind a tree trunk. Isowen halted, knowing that she was being followed by no ordinary creature. The question was whether or not is was a creature whom wished to help her or harm her. So she waited patiently for it to reveal itself, and when it finally did step out from amongst the surrounding trees she marveled at its extraordinary beauty.

Before her was a silver and grey hippogriff, a creature seldom seen in those parts. Its dark eyes stared at the girl with full knowledge of who and what she was, for it was of a wisdom found only in creatures like it. He stepped closer until his silvery beak was nearly touching Isowen's forehead and stopped as if expecting some type of action from the girl.

Isowen curtsied to the magnificent creature, for hippogriffs are rather formal creatures, even if they were as bold as this particular one. The hippogriff, in return, gave a small bow to the girl and gently ruffled her hair with his beak. Isowen reached out a hand hesitantly and stroked his neck feathers, much to the creature's pleasure. Had he been a griffin instead of a hippogriff, he would have been purring profusely. As it was, the creature knelt to the ground and looked up with expectancy to Isowen.

The young sorceress was no stranger to the ways of magical creatures, having had read about or had some sort of experience with several. Her knowledge of hippogriffs consisted of the facts that they were very formal and expected manners from those humans they deemed worthy of interacting with, and the myth that they sometimes led those chosen people to their fates. She knew that one did not refuse a hippogriff if one so offered to give assistance to them.

She nodded politely to the noble creature and swung a leg over his back, resting herself between his shoulders and wings. It was both like and unlike sitting on the back of a horse, though a horse was a bit more comfortable seeing as one did not have to worry about their legs being in the way of a pair of gigantic wings that protruded from each side of the steed. The hippogriff gave a snort – whether in pleasure at being useful or annoyance from the weight gain she did not know – and rose to his feet with grace.

Swiftly and silently the creature cantered through the forest as if he himself was the wind that flowed through the trees. Isowen briefly wondered why he did not spread his wings and simply fly, but let the matter go as they sped though the forest. The trees were a blur on either side of them as they traveled though the night as fast as lightning. Isowen smiled softly. She knew not if it was luck or fate that had given her such good fortune, but either way she was greatly appreciative. She relaxed a little on the hippogriff's back as the wind caused her hair and cloak to flow out behind her and fade into the darkness.

It was dawn when they ceased their journey. Through the trees Isowen could vaguely make out the shapes of several men in armor and red cloaks moving about a makeshift camp. The glow of a small fire brought relative detail to one particular dark haired man's face, who was dressed differently than the others. Isowen could sense power in the man, the strength of which rivaled her own and seemed to compel her to seek it out.

She nudged the hippogriff with her heels, but he refused to move, as if he was rooted to the spot. His dark gaze was fixated on the camp and Isowen could sense the creature's rear. He stepped back onto a twig, causing it to snap and draw the attention of the men in the cam. One man crept towards them with his sword drawn. At the sight of the steel, the hippogriff reared up and spread his wings in panic, causing Isowen – who had loosened her grip on the creature – to slide off his back and fall none too gently on her backside.

As she laid in a bed of fallen leaves, other men had come to join the first with their swords drawn. They stared at the creature before them in awe, for it was the first of its kind for them to have encountered. None of them noticed the black clad girl lying behind him in pain from her fall. One man crept forward, lunging his sword at the frightened hippogriff with a yell. The creature backed up quickly until a loud scream pierced the morning air as one of its hooved back feet landed on Isowen's ankle. In an even more frightened state than before, the hippogriff lept up from the ground and took to the air, buffeting the men and Isowen with the wind caused by its wings until it disappeared into the sky.

A man with longish brown hair hurried over to Isowen's side. "Miss, are you alright?" He asked whilst picking her up in his arms.

Isowen groaned in pain as her ankle moved. "No, I am most definitely not 'alright'!" She snapped, much to the man's surprised. "If you people had not frightened him so I would not be injured. Thank you all so very much." She glared at the men who stared at her with shock. They were obviously not used to be reprimanded by women they had "rescued."

The man carrying her back to the camp chuckled slightly. "You certainly are a feisty one." He stated while Isowen glared daggers at him. "But if we had not frightened the beast we would not have found such a beautiful maiden as yourself in need of our assistance." He grinned cheekily and Isowen had to resist the urge to slap the grin off his face. He leaned a bit closer to her and whispered, "When you are healed, I would love to see more of that fiery spirit of yours."

This time she did slap him, which caused the man to nearly drop her from surprise. Isowen reached out and grabbed the trunk of a nearby birch tree and swung down from his arms. She glared at the man in a way that conveyed obvious contempt.

"If you dare touch me again, I promise you that your face will not be all that I harm." She threatened in barely more than a hiss.

The man seemed to understand what she was implying and immediately backed off. The other men began to laugh at his expense.

"Nice to see a change in pace with your flirtations, Gwaine." A blonde man chortled. "And here I thought you could get any woman you set your sights on." His blue eyes twinkled with merriment.

Gwaine muttered something unintelligible, though undoubtedly rude, underneath his breath and moved to the opposite side of camp.

The blonde man turned to Isowen, becoming serious as if someone had flipped a switch. "Where are you injured, miss...?"

"Isowen."

"Isowen." He smiled charmingly at her.

She glanced down at her ankle. "I am quite sure that my ankle is broken. Most likely my back is fairly bruised, but that will heal fairly quickly."

He nodded. "Merlin, come help Isowen with her ankle. As soon as it is set we shall leave for Camelot." He addressed the one young man not dressed in armor. Turning back to the girl, he said, "I am King Arthur. These knights are Leon, Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine. My personal servant over there is Merlin." He gestured to each one in turn. Though when he pointed to Merlin, another name sprang to Isowen's mind, one that she had only heard tales of.

Emrys.

**A/N: I'll admit, I took some of the inspiration for the hippogriff from Harry Potter, however I completely made up the part about it leading to a person's destiny. It just makes a better story that way.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**On to the second chapter! I must point out, this story doesn't exactly line up with the actual series.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Merlin. I only own Isowen.**

Merlin finished wrapping a bandage around Isowen's injured ankle and tied the ends together in silence (a novelty really). While he had treated her injury, Isowen had not bothered to speak much other than to answer a couple of questions regarding how she had broken her ankle. Instead, she had merely stared at the lad in confusion. If he was Emrys, then why was he acting as a servant instead of a knight or something more noble? Why would the greatest warlock of all time stoop to such a lowly position?

Isowen kept her face impassive as Merlin stood back up. No wonder she had felt such a strong source of magic in him when she had stumbled across the encampment earlier. She wondered vaguely if the king knew about his servant was a sorcerer, but then dismissed the thought. Even she knew that magic was forbidden in Camelot.

As the young man began to walk away, Isowen caught his sleeve. "Thank you, Merlin." She softly said.

He nodded his head with a light smile and replied, "It's no problem, really. I'm sorry that we caused you to get hurt in the first place." His apology was sincere and made the girl a bit more at ease.

"I have to wonder," Arthur said as he approached the pair, "why were you traveling alone through the forest in the dark? Surely you are aware of all of the dangers that lurk here." His tone was concerned and curious at the same time.

Isowen looked down at her lap. "I was told to flee my home. There is someone searching for me, someone very dark. I cannot say why they seek me out, but I fear that no good can come of it." She said quietly and darkly.

The group was silent for a moment. Then Arthur spoke up. "If you wish, you may come with us to Camelot. No harm shall come to you whilst you are there. I will even assign knights to guard you from this person who searches for you."

"I accept the offer to come to Camelot, for they wouldn't dare attack me there. But please do not have men guard me. Should there be an attack they would merely be injured or worse. The one who seeks me is not a force to be reckoned with and, I fear, they shall not be easily stopped." She didn't know why, but Isowen felt it better to not tell Arthur and his knights just who it was that she was fleeing from.

Arthur had an odd look on his face at hearing her request, but – for once – did not push the effort. "You may ride with one of us then. Though, after your earlier encounter with him, I would not suggest Gwaine." Snickers erupted from the other knights while said man looked away indignantly.

Isowen smiled. Arthur truly was a kind king. "If it is not too much trouble, I would much prefer to ride with Merlin."

Surprise was evident on everyone's faces for the briefest of moments before they all covered it up. Merlin had stopped what he was doing, unable to comprehend why Isowen had requested to ride with him, though he was not at all disappointed in her choice.

"He looks to be the lightest, therefore the two of us would be easier for a horse to carry than if I rode with someone wearing armor and weapons." She explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Merlin let out a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. So that was it, concern for the horses. He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason he was almost sad that the girl – whom had just met and had barely spoken to, mind you – had chosen to ride with him out of concern for the horses. Though, he wasn't unhappy, per say. Under most circumstances, a pretty girl like her would have favored riding with one of the knights, specifically Gwaine. But it was rather obvious that this was no ordinary girl. He could feel her power swirling within her, begging to be released. He guessed that she was just as powerful as himself, if not more so. It was as if her entire being was made of magic.

Isowen turned and caught his eye. Merlin was momentarily taken aback by the strange yet beautiful violet color of her eyes. No normal human or sorcerer had such eyes. He made up his mind immediately that he would need to speak to Kilgarrah about the girl. With power such as hers, she would either be his greatest ally or his most dangerous foe.

Arthur gave the command to mount their horses, drawing Merlin from his thoughts and prompting him to go over to where Isowen sat on a fallen tree. He offered his hand to her, which she took with just the smallest of hesitations. A shock passed through the two of them as their skin touched, and both barely suppressed a shiver.

"Let me help you over to the horse. You know, since you can't walk yet." He said clumsily. Isowen smiled and pulled herself up with the help of Merlin. The two of them slowly made their way to where Merlin's horse awaited his riders.

With a strength surprising for someone of his build, Merlin lifted Isowen up to the saddle. She smiled slightly down at him, causing the warlock to blush as he clambered on in front of her. The blush deepened and spread to his ears as he felt the girl wrap her arms around his waist so as to secure herself from falling off.

The knights started off through the forest in the opposite direction from which Isowen had come. At first it was quiet, the sounds of the forest being all anyone could hear. It wasn't until they had ridden for about half an hour that Merlin spoke.

"Why were you riding a hippogriff?" He queried, taking Isowen by surprise. She had assumed that no one had noticed that detail since she had fallen just after Sir Leon had threatened the creature.

"He offered his assistance soon after I left my village. I have no doubt that he would have carried me all the way to where I was supposed to go had we not stumbled across your camp." She said."

Merlin turned his head slightly to look at her, an eyebrow cocked in curiosity. "And where might that have been?"

Isowen hesitated then looked away. "I do not know exactly. Hippogriffs are said to help lead a person to their destiny, though I haven't the faintest idea of what mine is." That last part was whispered, almost too quietly for the sorcerer to hear. Almost.

"Perhaps it did." He suggested. "Maybe this is part of your destiny."

Her eyes widened slightly. She had not considered that she was where she was supposed to be. Her mind wandered to the scroll resting in her knapsack, waiting to be read. What secrets about her fate did it hold?

She was brought out of her thoughts by Merlin's next question.

"Who is looking for you?"

Isowen debated for a moment on if she should tell him. After a moment she decided that if she was to trust anyone it would have to be Merlin. He was, after all, the only one like her, the only one who would understand why Morgana would search for her. She didn't know why, but something about the servant boy called to her soul in an unexplainable way.

"Morgana." She whispered. Merlin started, but quickly masked his shock with confusion.

"Why would she be searching for you?" His voice had taken on a dark edge, like he was wary of her answer.

"I know not why she seeks me. I have never met her, neither in life nor in a vision. What I do know is that I would never succumb to her her wishes, for I fear she may want to use me to harm King Arthur, an act that I will not allow myself to do. Though he forbids magic, he is the greatest king to ever rule Camelot. I cannot let Morgana ruin that."

Merlin seemed to relax at her words. Isowen could tell then that the lad cared deeply for his master and friend. She could sense his magic calming down inside of him, affirming her suspicion that he would not have hesitated to be rid of her should she prove to be a threat to the king.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, and/or are following this story. I'll try to post a new chapter each Monday. If anyone has any suggestions to make this story better, please say so! I love getting reviews, they make me feel loved :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

**Read, enjoy, and review**

The party entered the gates of Camelot as the sun set, bathing them in a red light. Isowen marveled at the castle; having been raised in a small village, she had never once seen a structure of such enormity. Indeed, the castle intimidated the young sorceress as she imagined herself getting lost in its multitude of halls.

In the courtyard, the group finally stopped. Merlin hopped down from his steed clumsily, causing Isowen to giggle slightly. He grinned goofily up at her and offered his hand to help her down. Pulling her injured leg over the saddle, she winced in pain as her ankle moved a bit. After recovering, Isowen took Merlin's calloused hand and slid off the saddle, careful not to put any pressure on her injured limb.

Seeing his manservant helping the girl off the horse, Arthur called out to Merlin. "Take her to Gaius, Merlin. I'll have one of the servants prepare a room for her." The dark haired man nodded to him as the king ordered for a stable hand to take care of Merlin's horse as he escorted Isowen to the court physician.

Merlin helped Isowen to slowly walk – or in her case hop – to Gaius's chambers. It was a tedious journey though the castle, one in which the pair received odd looks from passers-by. Isowen tried desperately to memorize the layout of the castle as they passed though the halls, but to no avail. She knew she was destined to get lost in the corridors at least a hundred times.

When they finally arrived at Gaius's chambers, Merlin pushed the door open with a loud bang, startling the old man inside. Gaius was about to reprimand the boy when he took note of the young woman leaning on his apprentice for support.

"Good heavens, Merlin, what has happened to this young lady?" Gaius exclaimed as he hurried over to help Isowen over to the work bench.

"It's not my fault!" Merlin replied as he sat Isowen down. "A hippogriff stepped on her ankle after she fell off its back."

Gaius's eyes widened at his explanation. "A hippogriff, you say? I didn't think they lived near Camelot anymore. Much like the dragons, Uther had ordered all griffins and hippogriffs to be killed since they too possess magic." He turned towards Isowen and brought his attention to her ankle. "May I take a look at your injury?"

Much to Merlin and Gaius's surprise, the girl shook her head. "No need. I have merely been waiting to be away from the knights for a bit." She wrapped a hand around her injury and whispered words in a language unknown to most, but familiar to the two men present. Her eyes flashed silver and then returned to their normal violet hue.

Jumping up, she tested out her newly healed ankle with a grin. She then turned to see a pair of shocked and bemused faces staring at her.

"I can't exactly practice magic in front of the very man who continues to deny the usage of it, now can I?" She asked rhetorically with a smirk. "Besides, both of you have magic. It's hard to overlook someone who has it amidst so many who don't."

Gaius was the first to break the silence that followed the girl's words. "Who are you?"

Isowen grinned. "That itself is a complicated matter. Surely you mean 'what are you?' For that question is much easier to answer." She sat back down on the workbench and leaned forward, her chin resting on her hands. "My name is Isowen. Quite obviously, I am a sorceress, though in these times the word seems much more sinister that what I am, which is a girl who was born and raised with magic. As for the rest, I do believe there will be more than enough time for you to figure it out on your own."

The old man shook his head. "You avoid answering questions as much as Merlin," he muttered, earning an indignant "hey" from the aforementioned warlock.

"Anyway, I suppose I must be off." She jumped back up from her seat. Merlin briefly wondered where the young woman got so much energy from all of a sudden. On the ride to Camelot she had been fairly quiet and reserved; now she was lick a fire, flitting every which way at her own pace.

"And how do you suppose you will get past Arthur?" Merlin asked dubiously. "He expects you to be injured for a while. I don't suppose you can completely change his and the others' memories of you...?"

Isowen grinned wickedly. "Of course I can. I've studied magic since I was a little girl. I've memorized more spells than I know words. Just as long as I have one item of each of theirs I can change any memory I want to."

With a wave of her hand and a few muttered words, several small items appeared on the work table. Picking up each, she whispered more words, her eyes flashing silver again. Before long she had picked up all five items and cast the spell on each. With another wave of her hand they all disappeared. She smiled triumphantly.

"There. No one will remember I was ever hurt." She said.

Merlin stared at her in awe. Never before had he met someone with so much power as to be able to change memories without even seeing the person. Even he would have needed to look up the exact spell needed to do a task like that.

There was a knock on the door then, and a serving girl poked her head in. " The room is ready for the guest." She said.

Isowen stood up and walked over to the girl with a polite smile on her face. "Of course. I will see you later, Merlin." She turned to follow the girl out into the corridor. They walked away from Gaius's chambers and through the passages until they made it to an open door.

"This will be your room, my lady." The servant girl said, gesturing to the room. Isowen stepped inside in wonder. Her home could have easily fit inside the large room.

"Ah, thank you." She said as the servant girl bowed and walked away. Isowen walked over to the huge bed in the middle of the room, tossing her knapsack onto the coverlet. She began rummaging through the bag, searching for the one thing that she had been eager to lay eyes on ever since she left her village. With a cry of triumph she pulled out the scroll given to her the knight before. Crossing over to the writing desk, she unrolled the parchment and began to read.

_Of night she comes to Camelot_

_Driven from her home by fate_

_The girl of violet and silver eyes_

_Shall appear to the king before it's too late_

_The greatest sorceress of all time_

_her equal is her destined one_

_Brought to Camelot by a creature rare_

_she must undo the damage done_

_Emrys beside her, she protects the king_

_and awaits the moment of long lost justice_

_Born of the night and things unseen_

_She shall aid the protector fulfill his destiny_

_A sorceress strong she must do battle_

_For Arthur's sister is his danger_

_She will be Morgana's bane._

Isowen swore and rerolled the scroll. The prophecy was fairly obvious in meaning, though that was her problem. If it was true then Merlin was right, and her journey had already begun. The question running through her mind was whether or not Merlin was Emrys, as she suspected him to be.

Movement outside the window caught her attention. Running across the courtyard was a figure, indiscernible by sight alone due to distance, but known to her nonetheless due to the energy that seemed to encompass his being. Curious, Isowen slipped out of her room and into the darkened corridor. Casting a simple tracking spell, she swiftly followed the man's path out of the castle and into the night. She took each step carefully, not wanting to draw any attention to herself.

Out of Camelot's gates and into the forest she went, following the warlock in silence. Even in the forest amid the fallen leaves of autumn she made no sound, for she was well learned in the art of silence. She followed him all the way to a large clearing, where he stood in the moonlight, calling out in a dark voice. Isowen hid behind a tree, hoping to go unnoticed whist she watched the strange occurrence she knew was to happen.

From the sky the creature came, larger than any other that Isowen had ever laid eyes on. Its scales glistened in the full moon night with an eerie glow. Isowen knew instantly that this creature before her, who had come to Merlin's call, was one that even she had assumed no longer existed anymore.

"Why have you called me here, young warlock?" The dragon asked in a raspy voice. Isowen barely stifled a squeak of surprise.

"The girl who has come to Camelot, why is she here?" He asked. Said girl was slightly miffed that he had decided to ask the great dragon about why _she_ was there, though she understood.

The dragon chuckled. "You fear that she means danger for Arthur, like so many others who have come before her." He observed. "Yet you fear her for the wrong reasons. The girl is powerful, yes, but it is who seeks her who is a danger, but that is no new danger to Camelot. The girl you speak of is tied to yours and Arthur's fates, for she is the key to keeping peace." He swung his head and locked eyes with the girl hiding behind the tree.

"Come here, child." He commanded. Isowen did as she was told hesitantly. She stepped out from behind the tree and walked up until she was about as close to the dragon as Merlin was.

"Morgana seeks you for Arthur's demise. Sh does not yet know of the prophecy concerning the both of you." He spoke directly to her before turning back to Merlin. "Trust the girl, Merlin, for she is your future. Now go. Your first trial will come soon enough."

He rose back into the sky just as Merlin called for him to wait. But it was too late. The dragon had left them to return to the castle together.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Isowen sat down at Gaius's work table and placed the scroll down in front of her. The old man looked at her quizzically from where he was working on crushing potion ingredients. He had not expected to be visited by the young woman so soon after she had begun to live in Camelot. No, he had assumed that she would have sought his apprentice out for any problem she might have. Yet here she was, pushing a rolled up piece of parchment towards him expectantly.

He took the scroll hesitantly. The girl just stared at him, waiting for him to read the words that were penned on the scroll. Carefully, Gaius unrolled the scroll and read the prophecy that dictated Isowen's fate. When he finished, he rolled the parchment back up and slid it back across the table to its owner.

"The prophecy speaks for itself." He said carefully. Gaius was rather unsure as to why Isowen had chosen him to share such important information with, nor did he know what she needed to hear.

The girl shook her head. "I know that. I am just unsure as to what I need to do." She sighed heavily, causing some herbs to scuttle across the table. "You and Merlin are the only ones here that I can feel I can trust, seeing as you two are the only ones whom I have yet encountered with magic."

Gaius raised an eyebrow at this information. "Why don't you ask Merlin for his opinion? Surely he can give you far better advice than I can."

She shook her head."How could I possibly ask him about this? I know for a fact that he is Emrys," Gaius looked ready to interrupt, but Isowen just continued speaking, "I've known since we first met. Heaven knows you can't tell a person you've just met that they are a part of your destiny. He would surely think that I have gone mad!"

The door suddenly slammed open to reveal a very muddy and disgruntled Merlin. Isowen groaned quietly; he had simply horrid timing.

"One of these days I sear I am going to send _him_ into the pigs' pen. Goodness knows he could use the lesson." Merlin grumbled. From the inflection placed on the word 'him', Isowen could easily place the source of the poor lad's state: Arthur.

Merlin looked up and caught sight of Isowen, who was clad in a deep purple dress that only enhanced the color of her eyes. He blushed as the thought crossed his mind that the sorceress before him was by far the most beautiful sight he had ever laid eyes on him. Much to his relief, the mud covered the redness of his cheeks from sight.

Muttering a few words, Isowen pointed a finger at Merlin. Her eyes flashed silver and suddenly the young warlock was as clean as if he had just freshly bathed. Isowen smiled lightly.

"We can't have you tracking mud all over the place, now can we? It would only add to your workload." She said teasingly.

"And we can't have you using magic all the time." Gaius reprimanded her. "Even if you are a guest, you would likely be arrested and killed if someone found out that you have magic."

Isowen looked down at her hands. "I know, but I was raised to use magic for even some of the littlest things. I know when not to use it, but you can't expect me to easily relinquish it. It is as much a part of me as my own body is." She spoke quietly and yet defiantly. She was a magical being and nothing could ever change that. Surely these two men would be able to understand that.

"Leave her be." Merlin spoke. Isowen's head popped up in surprise at the defensive tone in his voice. Gaius too seemed surprised at his ward's readiness to defend the girl. "I use magic all the time and have never actually gotten into too much trouble. Some close calls, yeah, but nothing too serious."

Gaius was about to say something in retaliation when Merlin cut him off. "Arthur gave me the afternoon off. Something must have gotten into his brain and actually did him some good for once." He gave a small chuckle and looked at Isowen. "Anyway, I figured that since I have the time, I might as well show you around Camelot a bit... If you want to that is." A blush crept back up to his cheeks and ears as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sure. Er, I mean, that would be nice. Thank you." Isowen felt heat crawl up her face as she accepted Merlin's invitation.

Merlin grinned. He briefly thought that the pink twinge in her cheeks made the young woman even more attractive than before, bringing color to her otherwise fairly pale complexion.

Isowen stood up and brushed nonexistent crumbs off her skirt. "I do hope that we will continue our conversation later." She said pointedly to Gaius as she walked out the door with a still blushing Merlin.

The door shut and Gaius shook his head with a smile. It was obvious that the two were destined for each other as Isowen's prophecy stated. They just needed time and perhaps a little push to get there.

"I'm sorry about last night. I have this bad habit of putting myself in places I don't belong." Isowen said as she and Merlin walked into the stables.

He shook his head lightly. "I would have done the same thing. Gaius can tell you just how many times I've gotten myself into trouble because I was curious about something." He said with a light laugh.

Changing the topic, Isowen asked Merlin, "Why exactly are we going to the stables? I thought you said we were going to go around Camelot." There was a twinkle in her violet eyes that suggested that she knew better.

"I...uh...I thought you might like to go for a ride in the forest. It really is nice around this time of year." He stumbled though his words awkwardly. Isowen giggled, finding his clumsiness to be rather endearing.

"I would love to see it. I'm sure it is every bit as lovely as you say it is. "She replied with a soft smile. Merlin gave a lopsided grin in return, reminding Isowen very much of a puppy she once had that wanted nothing more than to make everyone it met happy. It was quite adorable.

He led her over to a silvery grey horse that stood as if it was ready to leave its stall. As Merlin saddled the animal Isowen approached the horse with awe written plainly across her face.

"Is he yours?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, he's one of the extras. You'll be riding him." He laughed as the girl let out a delighted squeal.

As Isowen gracefully mounted the horse, Merlin clambered onto his own bay horse. Isowen giggled slightly at his clumsiness. He gave another goofy grin as he led Isowen's horse out of the stables. They rode though the city, receiving a few odd looks from the townspeople who were familiar with Merlin. One person in particular stared after the pair with a knowing smirk, though neither Isowen nor Merlin took note.

Once outside, Isowen spurred her steed into a gallop. Merlin followed suit a moment after. He puzzled over how the girl could conceal just how much energy she possessed – and not just the magical kind. She was like the wind; calm at one moment and a whirlwind the next. It was confusing and fascinating all at once. Not for the first time, Merlin found himself drawn to the sorceress who had already caused so much change in his life. There was something about her that seemed familiar, as if they had met long before.

Isowen looked behind her and grinned at Merlin. She turned back around and cantered into the forest, Merlin trailing behind her. She slowed down and looked around in bliss. The forest truly was beautiful, even more so than the one that had bordered her own small village. Indeed, even in autumn a vast majority of the trees here still held onto their leaves, though they had already changed to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. Isowen thought about just how much her life had changed in two short days, much like how the leaves had quickly changed from green to yellow. Just the other day she had been sitting in the cottage that she shared with guardian, studying spells like usual. Now she was in Camelot with a destiny to fulfill. If it was anyone else they would surely have already broke down, but Isowen was stronger than that. She had always been one to take everything in stride, no matter the situation.

There was a shout from behind her, causing Isowen to turn around and spot a snake on the ground between her and Merlin, and Merlin's horse pawing the air in fright with him clinging desperately to the reigns.

"Briah!" Isowen shouted with her hand stretched toward at the offensive serpent. Her eyes flashed silver and the reptile was engulfed in flames that refused to cling to anything but its scaly body. Soon it was no more than a burnt carcass in the middle of the path.

Merlin looked at the girl in surprise. He had not expected her to use fire of all things to eliminate the snake, though it was rather quite effective.

"Ah, Isowen..." He called to the dark haired girl. She turned to look at him. "You know, you really didn't need to set it on fire like that."

Isowen stopped her horse and waited momentarily for Merlin to catch up whilst she shrugged at his words. "Yes, I did. Serpents are often the servants of dark sorcerers. Besides, I am not a fan of snakes to begin with."

Merlin looked at her quizzically. He was relatively familiar with Morgana's preference for snakes as decoys, though he felt no magic aside from his own and his companion's in the vicinity. Perhaps it was simply a fear of snakes that had made Isowen set the creature on fire, though he had seen no fear on her face as she looked at the serpent. He shrugged, letting the matter drop for now as they continued their ride through the forest.

Maybe one day he would learn all there was to know about this intriguing young woman who he felt inexplicably drawn to.

**A/N: Another chapter done. I hope ya'll liked it. Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed this story, you guys are the reason I actually post on time. Since school started back up I have less and less time to write this story, so suggestions are very much appreciated to keep the story going.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. All I own is Isowen.**

**Read, enjoy, and please review!**

It had been about two weeks since Isowen had come to Camelot, and so far she had had no sign of Morgana. Much to her dismay, Isowen had not had much time with Merlin since their excursion into the forest. Arthur had piled on even more chores than usual onto his servant's list of things to do. Isowen guessed that Merlin had lied when he said he had the afternoon off, and the king had gotten irritated with the lad.

Due to the lack of time available to spend with the warlock, Isowen visited Gaius often, keeping him company and trading potion recipes that each found interesting. The young sorceress proved to be a rather knowledgeable potion master; a skill she thanked her guardian for since it proved to make her useful to the people who so kindly took her in. Gaius was kind to her, explaining the ways of the castle to her and essentially taking her under his wing as an unofficial apprentice since his actual one was rarely there to do his original job.

"Perhaps you will be the next court physician, since Merlin is too busy running after Arthur to properly learn anything." The old man said one day as he and Isowen were busy brewing headache remedies.

The girl laughed, "Maybe, though I daresay I am not much good without my magic. Unless the law is lifted, I fear I will never make a proper physician."

Gaius was rather reminded of his ward by Isowen's words. He too just barely managed to evade notice of Arthur with his usage of magic. Not for the first time, mused that the prophecy was right in the fact that the two of them were destined to each other – though he prayed that they would both become less reliant on their powers.

"You shouldn't always rely on your magic, you know." He told Isowen in a gently reprimanding tone. "It is always possible that one day your magic will fail you."

Isowen let out a sigh. "I was always taught that my magic will never fail me, that it was the only thing I could be sure of and rely on completely, no matter what. Here, it's so strange to not be allowed to use it, even if it's for good. It's like I have to pretend that I'm someone that I'm not." She confided sullenly.

Gaius looked at her with sympathy. "Do remember that everyone is more than just one thing." He said, trying to console the girl who had sunk into a melancholy mood.

She nodded her head and looked out the window. Gaius could see her battling with her thoughts inside her head.

"Take a break, dear. Maybe you could go find Merlin." He said. Isowen smiled brightly and thanked him, practically running out the door.

Isowen bounded down the corridors, a blur of black and grey. Several servants chuckled and moved out of the way as she dashed past them. Over the course of the last couple weeks, much of the castle staff had quickly grown accustomed to the uncontrollable force that was Isowen, and found her antics to be either amusing or irritating. They all knew of her habit to run most places, and had dubbed her the "whirlwind of Camelot." Indeed, whether she was running an errand for Gaius or merely enjoying a bout of free time, she practically flew to her destination with an unearthly grace. Some even speculated that she was part fairy or elf, though they dare not say it out loud.

She reached her destination in record time, knowing exactly where her friend was. Pausing for a moment behind a pillar where no one could see her, she whispered a short spell that turned her grey dress into leggings, a shirt, and a vest. Stepping out from her hiding place, Isowen approached the gaggle of knights who were watching as Gwaine and Arthur fought.

As she watched, the pair fought as seriously as if their lives depended on it. The clanging of steel on steel could be heard throughout the training field as the two men dueled. It seemed to Isowen to last ages until Gwaine misstepped, causing him to fall into a mud puddle and the knights to chuckle at his expense.

"Anyone else care to try?" Arthur asked in a voice that said 'I can defeat a bear if I wanted to.'

"I will." Came the feminine reply as Isowen stepped forward, having discretely grabbed a spare sword.

Arthur shook his head. "Lady Isowen, it would be dishonorable for any of us to fight you. Even Merlin has more dignity than to fight with a woman."

Isowen rolled her eyes. "I suppose you are afraid that I would win in a duel. It must be an embarrassment to be beaten by a woman." She taunted, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "As it is, you asked if anyone wished to try. I accept the challenge."

With that, she brandished her borrowed sword and lunged. Arthur, taken by surprise, blocked her attack just in time, but soon found himself on the defensive as the raven haired girl thrust and parried with unrelenting vigor. It was obvious who had the advantage even before Arthur found the tip of her sword pointed at his neck.

The knights stood in stunned silence, hardly believing that a woman had beaten the king in a mock-duel. Isowen withdrew her sword and sheathed it with a triumphant grin on her face.

"Not too bad for a woman now, am I?" She teased as Arthur scrambled to compose himself.

He muttered something that sounded like "caught me off guard." Isowen chuckled. Knights and kings really were too prideful for their own good.

Catching sight of a certain chortling brunette, Isowen walked over to where her friend beside a row of shields. He grinned at her with pride and amusement. It was high time that Arthur was made to look foolish by someone else's hand.

"Did you charm your sword or something?" He whispered so that only Isowen could hear him.

She shook her head. " You wound me. To think that you do not believe that I am unable to fight fairly. I've been taught to fight with a wide array of weapons since I was little. My guardian was insistent that I learn how to protect myself both with and without magic." She explained.

"Guardian?" Merlin focused in on the word like a moth to a flame. So far Isowen had revealed very little about her past, and he was curious as to what it entailed.

Isowen caught the curious note in Merlin's voice and nodded. "My father was killed before I was born and my mother died in childbirth. The midwife took me in and raised me as her won child. She taught me almost all I know." There was a fondness in her voice as she spoke of Ophelia. The woman might as well have been her mother, save for the fact that they looked nothing alike.

"You miss her, don't you?" Merlin spoke softly. He easily recognized the faraway look in the girl's eyes that said how much she longed for that bit of the past.

She looked up at him with a sad smile on her face. "Yes. But I also know that to back would be to disobey her wishes." She spoke with grim determination. What she did not say was that she knew that she belonged there in Camelot. She belonged beside Merlin, as the prophecy clearly stated. These things she refused to tell the warlock, for he was bound to figure them out eventually.

"Merlin!" Arthur called in his arrogant voice. "Stop trying to flirt and get over here. I've got a list of chores for you to do."

Merlin blushed and groaned. Making his way to Arthur, he bid Isowen goodbye. As he walked away with a glance over his shoulder at the girl another presence sidled up beside her.

"Seems like he's taken a fancy to you." A voice said sweetly.

Isowen looked beside her at the queen, who had come out to watch the knights practice. Then she glanced back at Merlin, who was being given a never ending list of duties from Arthur.

"Perhaps." She replied quietly. She hoped that the queen was right, for the servant boy had quickly stirred up her own feelings. "He seems friendly to everyone, though. I hardly see how him being nice to me would mean that he likes me in such a sense."

Gwen gave the girl a knowing look. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?" At Isowen's silence she continued. "Merlin's never taken this much interest in someone before. It's obvious on his face that he thinks that you're special."

Isowen smiled slightly at the queen's words. "I find it hard to believe that one can determine their feelings for someone else in the course of merely two weeks." She lied, though Gwen gave her a look that said that she saw past the charade.

"If you're meant to be with someone then you sort of know it instantly. It's not something you decide on one day." Gwen said with a soft smile on her face as she clearly thought about her own husband.

The younger girl stood there for a moment, contemplating on the woman's words. Yes, she was drawn to Merlin in an indescribable way. Since she had come to Camelot her prophecy had subtly begun to come true in the area that concerned Merlin, though she had supposed that that was the reason she felt so drawn to the warlock. Thinking about it now made her realize that even before she had read the scroll she had found comfort with his very presence. Maybe what Gwen said was true, that, even without initially knowing it, she knew that she was connected to Merlin...

Sirens went off, causing Isowen to leave her musings and look around frantically. Much to her confusion, no one else seemed to hear the warning bells. Isowen realized with growing horror that the sound was only in her head. Her wards had been breached.

"Is everything alright?" Gwen asked as she laid a hand on the violet eyed girl's shoulder worriedly.

Isowen shook her head. "I'm afraid I must be off. I just remembered that Gaius said that he needed more ingredients for a cough serum." She lied before turning away and hurrying to her chambers.

Once within the safe isolation of her room, Isowen scrambled to find the hand mirror she had brought with her when she left her village. Finding it in the recesses of her knapsack, she pulled it out and whispered he spell that would allow her to see what had triggered her wards. The mirror grew foggy for a moment before clearing to show an old woman hobbling though the market. She was covered in a brown shawl so that only her face was visible. With gnarled fingers, she touched a simple choker necklace at a jewelry vendor's stall.

Isowen stared in confusion at the image in the mirror. She had set her wards so that only Morgana's presence would trigger them, thanks to an old dress of the sorceress's that had held onto a couple strands of hair. This old woman looked nothing like the evil sorceress that yearned for Arthur's death. In fact, she looked more likely to keel over before the king.

Yet despite of the appearance of an old woman, she had triggered Isowen's alarms, meaning that she had to be Morgana. Perhaps she had used an aging potion, except that those were made by very few people nowadays. A powerful aging spell was far more likely.

She continued to watch as the old woman purchased the choker then slowly scurried off to an abandoned alley way. Morgana began speaking, though Isowen despaired at being unable to hear her words, and the gem on the necklace began to glow with a sinister sheen. Isowen knew instantly that this was dark magic, for she had never once come across a similar spell in all her years of studying. And she knew who the likely victim was to be.

**A/N: Duh, duh, duhhhh! I love cliff hangers so much. See ya'll next Monday with the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

**A/N: Due to ridiculous amounts of homework and not enough free time, I may be late posting the next chapter. Hopefully I won't be, but I might...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin...just Isowen.**

Isowen flew through the corridors, causing several servants to nearly fall or drop what they had been carrying. But she didn't care. All Isowen cared about was making it to the market place before Morgana gave the necklace to anyone. As she ran, a memory came to the forefront of her mind.

_Ophelia had been having her read through spell books all afternoon. Her challenge was simple: find a spell she couldn't do. Isowen, being extremely gifted with magic, had taken to the challenge like a moth to a flame. She had spent the entire afternoon testing spells to see if there was one that she couldn't do._

"_What's the point of this? I can do every spell in every book!" Fourteen year old Isowen groaned as she pushed away another spell book._

_Ophelia came up behind her and laid a small leather bound tome in front of her. Isowen looked at the book quizzically before opening it with a sigh. As she read the first page silently her eyes widened._

"_I can't do one of these. They're all dark spells!" She exclaimed as she shut the book hurriedly so as not have to look at it anymore._

_Her guardian smiled with satisfaction. "Good. So long as you never do a dark spell you will be safe. You must never even think that you can do a spell like one of these, for they corrupt the mind and poison the soul." She took the book away from her ward who seemed to be regarding it like it was a snake getting ready to strike. "Even one spell of this nature will change a person. You must promise that you will never even attempt one such as these."_

_Isowen nodded her head eagerly. "I promise."_

Isowen shook the memory away as she raced out into the market. She had promised Ophelia so easily that she would stay away from dark magic, no matter what. That was why she didn't recognize the spell used on the necklace. That was why she felt as if the world depended on her right now. She would do anything to keep herself and others away from the kind of magic that she had sworn to avoid.

Up ahead, she saw the jewelry shop where Morgana had purchased the necklace. With increased urgency Isowen ran to the ally way where she had seen the sorceress in her mirror. She cursed under her breath as she saw that the space between shops was void of life.

She stepped back out and looked around in confusion as to where the old woman had gone to. That's when she saw a sight that made her blood run cold.

At a nearby stall was a young woman that Isowen recognized as one of Gwen's maids. But that wasn't what stopped her heart in fear. It was the necklace around the girl's neck that twinkled in the sunlight. A simple black ribbon with a garnet set in it, it was pretty yet simple. It was the very same necklace that Morgana had put a spell on, as was obvious by the light magic sheen that only those who knew what to look for would see. Within the time it had taken Isowen to get there, Morgana had finished with her errand.

Knowing that she had failed, she walked up to the girl who smiled politely at her.

"Is Gwen out in the market right now?" Isowen asked innocently. Knowing the girl's answer before she had a chance to say it, Isowen fixed her gaze on the necklace as if she had just noticed it.

"Your necklace is beautiful." She remarked, changing the subject quickly. " Was it a gift?"

The maid nodded with a soft smile gracing her lips. "Yes. My fiance just gave it to me. Funny that. It was only a minute or two ago that he was here..." She trailed off as she briefly searched for the man before turning back to Isowen. "To answer your previous question, no. I'm afraid I do not know precisely where the queen is at the moment, seeing as she gave me the next few days off to help prepare for the wedding."

"Oh. Well I suppose I should keep looking. Goodbye." Isowen excused herself and hurried back to the castle. The warning bells in her head had quieted back down, signaling Morgana's departure from Camelot.

Isowen's journey back to the castle was much slower than her departure, an air of defeat hovering over her like a dark cloud. Everyone she passed could feel her anguish, though they knew not the source of it. And so she left a trail of disgruntled people behind her, for her magic often touched people and objects when she was not careful. All she could think about was that she had been too late and that the maid with the necklace would not easily give up the necklace without being coerced via magic, which was out of the question when in such a populated area.

She wandered back to Gaius's tower unconsciously, for her mind was elsewhere. She wondered what spell Morgana had placed on the necklace, and what the ramifications would be. Did she know that Isowen was in Camelot? Was she targeting her, Gwen, or Arthur? Isowen wracked her brain for answers, but none came. She was as lost as a whale in a desert.

As soon as she entered the room, Gaius could tell that something was terribly wrong with the sorceress. He studied her closely as she demurely sat down at the work bench, trying to discern what could bother the girl so greatly. She looked absolutely defeated, with her blank stare and slightly perturbed expression.

After a measurable amount of silence he finally spoke, startling the brunette from her reprieve.

"What has happened?" He asked her worriedly.

Isowen looked at him for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "Morgana was here. In Camelot." She said in a flat voice. "She enchanted a necklace that a maid believes she was given by her fiance."

Gaius sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what to say to the poor girl. He was greatly bothered by the fact that Morgana had once again gotten in under their noses, and that she had successfully begun her newest scheme. But right now that was just one of two problems, the other of which was sitting down in front of him.

"Isowen, did you at least try to stop her from giving the girl the necklace?" She nodded her head. "Then you have done what you can for now. You must wait for Morgana to make her next move. Wait for her to come out into the open before you do something about it." He said.

Isowen looked out the window with a melancholy expression. "It is my duty to help protect Arthur and to be the end of Morgana. If I can't stop her from doing one little thing, how am I supposed to stop her from hurting Arthur?" She spoke in a quiet voice that matched her expression.

"You learn from your mistakes and get there faster next time." A new voice said from the doorway. Isowen spun around and saw Merlin crossing over to the work table to sit beside her. "You keep trying your hardest until everything is said and done. You never stop trying."

He reached out to pick up a roll of parchment that Isowen had forgotten about leaving there two weeks ago. Holding it out to her, Merlin said, "This is your answer. If it's not fulfilled, then you aren't done yet. Trust me, Arthur's gotten hurt loads of times on my watch, but never killed." He gave a faint grin.

Isowen raised an eyebrow at him. "I suppose you read it then?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Merlin nodded his head with a light blush dusting his cheeks. "I know what it's like to have everything resting on your shoulders, to have a prophecy to fulfill. It's like your being pulled in every direction and you can't figure out which ways is up and which way is down." He set the scroll down and laid his hand on top of hers gently. "But you don't have to be alone." His blush deepened an crept up to his ears.

The girl smiled forlornly and squeezed his hand. "Neither do you." She whispered, meeting his sapphire eyes with her own amethyst ones.

"Ahem." Both Isowen and Merlin turned to look at an uncomfortable Gaius, whom they hand momentarily forgotten about. Merlin immediately retracted his hand as Isowen sat there blushing profusely.

Gaius repressed the urge to smirk at the two. " You must find a way to break the spell on the necklace soon. Who knows what Morgana has planned." He said, bringing the conversation back to the original topic.

Isowen nodded solemnly. "The problem is that I don't know what spell she used. As a principle I never studied any dark spells, not even for academic purposes. I would have to know the spell in order to counteract it without directly breaking the necklace. Right now I can't do anything until the spell goes into effect." She frowned in annoyance at that little detail.

"Who was the girl that was given the necklace?" Gaius asked, an idea forming in his mind.

She sat for a moment in thought, trying to recall the girl's face. "It was the red haired girl that often does Gwen's laundry. She said she was getting married, though I'm afraid I cannot recall her name."

"Rosalinde." Merlin interjected. "She was just given a long break to get married to the blacksmith." At the curious looks from both Isowen and Gaius he shrugged. "The servants all talk a lot."

Gaius raised an eyebrow bus let the matter go. "We must keep her from harming Arthur. For now he is safe, as long as she does not return to the castle soon."

Isowen sat up panting, her sheets sticking to her clammy skin. Whispering a spell, she lit the candle beside her bed. Searching futily in the darkness, she could feel that something was terribly wrong. The darkness did not hold its usual comfort for her. No, it held something dangerous, something truly dark.

She rose cautiously from her bed, eyes peering into the darkness for the perpetrator. There was a rustle in the direction of the door. Isowen cast a spell, lighting up the entire room. Beside the door was a pale woman whose dark hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a fortnight. She stared at Isowen with madness in her pale green eyes and a queer grin on her lips. She stepped forward with a confident grace.

"Hello, Isowen." She softly said, her eerie voice causing the hairs on said girl's neck to rise.

"Morgana." Isowen hissed, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was the reason she had awoken: Morgana had passed through her wards again.

The former ward of King Uther smiled wider. "I am pleased to have finally found you, though it saddens me to see one of your power to be in a place like this where people like us are prosecuted."

Isowen clenched her fists in anger. "You mean people like you. I am nothing like the likes of _you._" She spat out.

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Are you not? We are both so powerful, more so than any of the fools around her could even imagine. How are we so different?" She queried in a creepily pleasant voice.

The younger woman let out a humorless laugh. "How can you be so blind? You harm those you once loved, those who you used to call family and friends. I am nothing like you."

"You fail to see the truth." The sorceress said, creeping closer. "Right now, Camelot condemns all magic users. Until I take the throne Camelot is no place for people like us. You have to see that you will only be betrayed if you stay here." She extended her hand. "Come with me and together we can restore this kingdom to its former glory. We will rule this kingdom and bring magic back to the land." Morgana's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Isowen shook her head with a glare. "Leave now."

The other sorceress merely stepped forward, but was abruptly thrown back to the wall. She crumpled to the ground with fury in her jade eyes. From above, Isowen stared down at her with vibrant violet eyes. Raising her hand, Morgana sent a ball of energy hurtling toward the girl. She caught it easily with her magic, turning the green energy black and silver.

Morgana's eyes widened in fear. She had underestimated Isowen's capabilities drastically. Never did she imagine that the girl was even more powerful than herself. It only made her want to control her more.

Isowen dissipated the energy in her hands, leaving nothing remaining to prove it had ever existed. She stepped forward slowly, whispering words too low for Morgana to hear, though she felt their effects. The violet eyed girls knelt in front of the immobile sorceress and stared into her eyes without pity or remorse.

"Do not think for one moment that we are done here, Morgana. And do not think that I will ever succumb to your level. There are more forces in this world than you can ever imagine." She smiled almost sinisterly as she spoke the words. "Yet it is not your time to perish. That is for another day." She stood back up and stretched her hand toward the woman on the floor.

"Ezalde roh abachima." As soon as the words were out of her mouth Morgana disappeared with a scream and Isowen woke up with a cold sweat, finding herself back in bed.

In a hovel in the forest, a dark haired woman bolted up from her bed, the familiar feeling of a vision permeating her head. But this one was different. This time it felt like she was not the only one who saw.

**A/N: Can I just point out that Morgana seriously needs a hairbrush? I'm talking about almost as much Bellatrix Lestrange needs one. Also, her voice always creeped me out. Anyone else?**

**Anyway, please review. I love reading your comments.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and is following/favorited this story. I am extremely excited about this chapter and the next one, though this one is by far the longest one so far. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin in any way, shape, or form.**

**Now on with the story!**

Isowen was in a daze that morning, having had had little sleep the night before. She was all too familiar with visions, seeing as she was often plagued by them as a child. Ophelia had given her potions back then to keep the visions at bay after a particularly long bout of sleepless nights had caused her to become ill. Isowen wished desperately now for one such remedy.

She slowly wandered around the castle, lost in her thoughts as well as in her surroundings. Nothing around her seemed familiar, for she had not traveled to this part of the castle before. Isowen briefly wondered just where she had first crossed into the unknown territory, but gave up. Her first impression of Camelot had been correct: she was destined to get lost.

With a sigh, she turned around and searched for the corridor from which she had come from. To her dismay there were several options, none of which looked the least bit familiar. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Usually she paid much better attention to her surroundings, yet here she was, as lost as a whale in a desert.

A door opened to her left, admitting a familiar black haired lad into the hall with a pile of laundry in his arms. He took a couple steps forward until he caught sight of the smaller figure standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Isowen?" His voice conveyed his surprise at seeing the girl.

She looked up at him with glazed over eyes, but did not speak. Merlin instantly knew that something was very wrong with his friend.

Moving the laundry so that it rested in his left arm only, Merlin took Isowen's arm and led her further away from Arthur's chambers. Once at a semi-secluded alcove, he let go.

"What happened?" He whispered worriedly as his mind flew to conclusions. What if she was the target of the spell Morgana had put on the necklace?

Isowen rubbed her arms and looked away from her friend. Just when Merlin thought she wasn't going to say anything, she whispered, "It was just a dream," so quietly that Merlin almost didn't hear her.

"What was just a dream?" He asked. He was well aware that not all dreams were just dreams.

Isowen shuffled her feet around uncomfortably. "It's nothing. Probably just my fears showing their face. It's not the first time something like that has happened." She lied unconvincingly. If she had paid attention to Merlin's face instead of the floor, she would have seen that he knew full well that she was being dishonest.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Isowen to look up at him in surprise. "What happened in the dream?" He asked in an odd combination of a rough and soft voice.

Hesitantly giving in, she relayed the events of her vision. While she spoke his face grew hard with concern. He remembered when Morgana had visions that left her tired and dazed the next day. There was no doubt in his mind that Isowen had experienced the same thing and that she knew it.

As she finished retelling her dream, Isowen wrapped her arms around herself as she quivered slightly. Merlin moved to put his free arm around her and pulled the girl to his chest. His face was set hard as stone. The dream worried him greatly. He couldn't tell if it was foretelling the exact future or if it was symbolic of what was to come. Either way he was concerned for the girl.

Isowen slowly softened her stance and wrapped her arms around Merlin's waist, returning the embrace gratefully. She was blinking back tears. She had not expected just telling the story to affect her so emotionally as few things ever did. But this was different. This was like she had just bared her soul to him, for not even Ophelia knew what happened in past visions. She had always been careful to keep them to herself, to protect herself from being used by others who wished to wield her power. In fact, now only two people knew of her peculiar ability to see things that had not yet come about.

She pulled away after a long moment, brightness returning to her eyes. Merlin looked down at Isowen with a soft smile that did not reach his eyes. He was extremely concerned for her, but he knew that she needed for him to be calm. She needed him to be there for her. He slowly raised his hand up to the girl's cheek. Isowen's eyes widened as she registered what was going on, her violet orbs growing impossibly large.

"M-Merlin..." She stuttered as he leaned forward, his face moving slowly toward her own.

Footsteps were then heard coming toward them. Merlin backed up as soon as an all too familiar voice spoke.

"Merlin, get my horse ready. We are going on a hunt soon." The king said haughtily from behind the servant boy. Merlin sighed and looked down apologetically at Isowen, who was now blushing profusely. Thankfully, Arthur could not see her since Merlin was in between them. OF course, as fate would have it, Merlin moved into just the right position so that Arthur soon saw the rave haired girl standing between his servant and the wall.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at Merlin, his mind jumping quickly to conclusions. After all, Isowen was a beautiful young woman who had evidently taken as much of an interest in Merlin as he had her. Surely it wasn't too hard to come up with an explanation as to why his servant was to be found in such a position with the young woman.

Isowen seemed to have sense the king's thoughts and immediately came up with a way to distract both Arthur from the current situation and herself from the events of last night and the previous day. Putting on the sweetest smile she could muster, Isowen hoped that her plan would work.

"Sir, if you wouldn't mind too terribly, I would like to join in the hunt." She said smoothly.

Arthur's jaw nearly touched the floor upon her request. Women did not hunt, but then again, it was clear from the previous day that Isowen was no ordinary woman.

"I am not sure that such an activity would suit you, Lady Isowen." He poorly attempted to argue. He knew by yesterday's display of skill that Isowen could very well handle herself if trouble arose. He just didn't want to put a woman in a place that he thought men alone belonged.

Isowen shook her head, a light smirk on her face. "Before I came to Camelot I often hunted by myself. Most people were wary of the forest, so I often hunted for most of the village. IF anything, I will be an asset to you." She stated with confidence. She was evidently back to herself – in appearance at least.

The blonde man sighed. He did not want to argue with the woman, especially after yesterday's display of prowess. His own argument was rendered useless after remembering that duel. She was right and he knew it.

Grudgingly he agreed to let her come. "Merlin, you are also to prepare a horse for Lady Isowen." He sent a meaningful look to the servant as he beckoned him to follow.

"Meet us down at the stables soon. I'll have Merlin bring you your horse." He said to Isowen before dragging Merlin away with him.

She nodded as the two men left her, though she still had no clue where to go from where she was. Making sure that no one could see her, Isowen whispered the spell that would lead her back to her room. In her mind she could see the path she needed to take. She smiled lightly as she swiftly passed through the corridors until she reached a familiar door that she now knew to be the entrance to her only safe haven. Yet she feared to open the door. What if her vision came true? What if Morgana was waiting for her? What if Isowen accidentally used a dark spell that she somehow knew even though she didn't know any? What if...

She shook the thoughts from her head. She was being foolish. Before she could hesitate any longer, she opened the door and the knot of anxiety that had taken up residence in her stomach dissipated. The room was void of all life, just as Isowen had left it. It was a great relief to see that no one awaited her inside.

Remembering her new plans for the day, Isowen rushed to change her clothes into a pair of dark leggings as well as black leather boots. Her dark shirt showed only at the sleeves and bust, for a thick red cloth waist cincher that covered her entire waist. She smirked at her reflection as she braided her long black hair to the side. She was the only woman to dare wear leggings here, though in her own village there may have been only one or two other women who dared the fashion merely because the could salvage torn skirts by turning them into trousers or leggings.

Once her hair had been fully secured, Isowen left the room. After last night she wanted to spend as little time in there as possible. She sped down the corridors, barely dodging the servants who were running errands for nobles. She made it out to the stables in record time, arriving just as Merlin was bringing out a beautiful silver horse. The same horse that she had ridden the day that she and Merlin had gone for an afternoon ride.

He smiled when he saw her, thinking that the hunting trip may be halfway decent if she was coming. He may even enjoy it. Even more, he hoped that she would enjoy it. Perhaps this was what she needed to get her mind off of the necklace and the dream. Merlin frowned slightly in thought. What if the two were somehow connected? Could the necklace be some sort of charm that allowed Morgana to see what Rosalinde saw? It wasn't unreasonable to think such a thing, though perhaps a bit of a stretch. A spell like that would likely be beyond the talents of even Morgana, though either he or Isowen would possibly be able to do it.

Isowen came up to him with a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. She was still upset over the vision and probably the necklace, but it was evident that she was trying to hide it from everyone. Though there was much that Merlin had yet to learn about the sorceress, he knew that she hated pity and sympathy. That was perhaps one reason she was more comfortable around him that any of the others in Camelot. He knew what she was going though, he knew what it felt like. He wasn't sympathetic; he was empathetic.

"Do I get to ride this horse again?" She asked, drawing the lad from his thoughts. He looked down at her unwavering violet eyes and nodded his head.

She took the reigns as Merlin pulled something out from his rucksack. "These are also for you. No one will even notice that they're gone." He said as he pressed a pair of sheathed daggers into the hand that wasn't holding the reigns. She glanced down and then back up with a smile.

"Thank you, Merlin." Her eyes said that there was more that she wanted to say, yet refrained from doing so.

A certain blonde man made his appearance, untimely as ever. Isowen quickly hid the daggers behind her back. No need for him to wonder where she had obtained the weapons.

"I trust that the horse is to your liking." Arthur said as he approached the pair.

Isowen nodded. "He is quite lovely. I daresay that a horse of his stature is worthy of a king." She praised whilst petting the horse's face.

Arthur smiled and looked knowingly at Merlin. It was fairly obvious that the servant had chosen the horse specifically for the girl for a reason. To Isowen he said, "Sir Leon has a selection of bows for you to choose from since you say that you are such a good huntress. Although, you may accidentally end up keeping an eye on Merlin. He has a tendency to wander off. He chuckled as Isowen frowned. Much to her surprise Merlin said nothing in return.

"Then I shall go over there at once. I do not want to be the one too keep us from leaving as soon as possible." She replied stoically. She handed the reigns back to Merlin and ran her hand down the side of the horse facing away from the king and discretely slipped her daggers inside a saddle bag before leaving to choose her bow.

As she walked away, Arthur turned to Merlin. "You've fallen for her, haven't you." It was not a question, for Arthur knew very well how the lad felt. It was as plain as day.

Of course, Merlin was hesitant to admit to anything. He looked at the horse and muttered, "I haven't a clue what you are talking about." Arthur rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Isowen. You've fallen for her. Don't even bother lying."

Merlin thought back to the night that he had read Isowen's prophecy. Gaius had been gone when he returned to their chambers. On the table was a rolled up piece of parchment with an unfamiliar seal that had already been broken. Thinking it was a spell or potion recipe, he picked it up and read it, eyes widening as he did so. It was clear what the words meant and who they referred to, though he was startled to see his own name written in the black ink. Yet he had been thrilled to know that he was tied to Isowen by fate, that there was a reason they had met. He was glad to know that he wouldn't lose her just when he got attached, like hat happened in the past. This time would be different.

Yet now Arthur was wanting to know how he felt about the violet eyed girl. The truth was that he had quickly fallen for her. The truth was that he was afraid to admit it in case something went wrong like it usually did. Something almost always happened to those he cared about. He didn't want to risk it.

"What gives you that idea?" Merlin said to Arthur, not answering his question.

The king raised an eyebrow. "She's quite beautiful for one. Surely you didn't think no one else would notice. You are always looking at her or doing things for her or trying to talk to her. It's like watching a girl in love." He stated, making sure to add an insult for good measure.

Merlin rolled his eyes, used to the commonly used insult. "At least I'm not being a dollop head." he smirked.

Isowen returned with a beautiful hand crafted bow in hand and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. The two men stopped talking immediately, turning their attention to the young woman before them. Discretely, Arthur pushed Merlin forward towards Isowen. He may give the lad hell, but he did actually want him to be happy in his relationships. Perhaps it would make him less of a girl.

"We will be leaving momentarily. Merlin, do try to keep up this time." Arthur said as he wandered off to his own horse.

Isowen glance between the two men as Arthur walked away from them, but said nothing. It was not her place to ask what it was that they were talking about. Chances were it had nothing to do with her.

With a flourish, Isowen swung up into her saddle. Merlin handed her the reigns, their hands briefly touching. Isowen blushed lightly, the scene from earlier playing back in her mind. She had been sure that Merlin was going to kiss her back there, bat thanks to Arthur's _wonderful_ timing, she wouldn't know now.

Merlin drew away slowly, something gleaming in his eyes that the girl was unfamiliar with. He walked over to his own bay horse and mounted it, clumsy as ever.

The party set off through the courtyard and the city, eager to reach the forest. The men laughed and talked as they rode. Clearly it was a favorite activity of the knights to go out hunting, for they were in merrier spirits than usual. Indeed, even mock duels did not seem to bring them this much pleasure. Isowen too was relieved to be out of the castle, her spirits lightening a considerable amount once they passed though the city gates. Though she liked Camelot well enough, Isowen much preferred the open air and freedom that came from nature. Try as she may, she knew that she would never be completely comfortable inside the city.

Merlin saw Isowen's expression change to that of pure bliss as soon as they left Camelot. It was like the day they had gone for a ride when she had first arrived. He could plainly see her love of nature in her smile as she breathed in the open air.

He pulled his horse back from beside Arthur's so that he was riding beside the young woman. The king raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He knew that Merlin didn't need his direct interference right now.

"It's nice out." Merlin said. He immediately regretted the words. There was nothing more dull to talk about than the weather.

Isowen smiled at him. "Yes, it is. It's so nice to be out of there for a bit." She sighed happily.

Merlin knew the feeling. Sometimes he just needed to get away from the place that was almost constantly filled with dangers for him. Granted, a hunting trip was by far his least favorite way to get out. Especially when something went wrong, which happened far too often for his liking.

"I'm surprised Arthur let you come. Usually he would have completely refused to let a woman of any sort join us. Not that you're a normal woman per say." He immediately added so as to not offend her.

Isowen smirked. "And whose to say that I'm not?"

"Most women can't use a sword to start with, or any weapon for that matter. And most aren't as talented or as beautiful as you." He blushed as the last part accidentally slipped out.

She raised an eyebrow while hiding a light blush. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Merlin fidgeted under her violet gaze. "Well yeah. Anyone who thinks otherwise would have to be blind." His blush deepened as her smile widened. Awkwardness aside, Merlin was being extremely sweet. No one had ever called Isowen beautiful in front of her before, and personally, she loved to hear it. Especially coming from Merlin.

"Thank you." She said with a smile, causing Merlin to look back at her. He had almost expected her to reject the compliment like so many other women would have done. It only made him blush more.

They passed into the woods soon, silence befalling the party. Now was the beginning of the hunt when they needed to attract as little attention to themselves as possible. They rode through the forest, their eyes peeled for signs of deer or other game.

To the left, Isowen saw a brown coat flash though the underbrush. From years of hunting she knew that a deer that small was only a fawn, meaning that there were others nearby. Signaling to the rest of the group, she dismounted her horse and notched an arrow into her bow. With careful steps she moved closer to where she had seen the fawn.

Behind the foliage was a sight that made Isowen's blood both boil and run cold at the same time. What she had seen was not the hide of a moving fawn, but that of a falling hippogriff. It's body was mangled and blood coursed out of a gaping wound int its side. It's golden eyes were glassy with death and locked in an expression of fear. It's head was cocked at tan odd angle that was a clear indication of a broken neck. It took all Isowen had not to scream or let her furious and fearful magic run rampant.

The men of the party came up beside her and looked aghast at the dead creature laying on the ground. But Isowen barely noticed them. All she could see was the tawny colored hippogriff whose feathers and fur were stained red with its own blood. All she could feel was rage in response to the killing of such a noble creature. She knew very well that only magic could kill its kind, meaning that a sorcerer was at fault.

A hand touched her arm and she spun around with fire in her eyes. Merlin stood there, his face expressionless. He knew that Isowen was rather fond of hippogriffs since she was brought to them by one. He too was alarmed by the creature's death, though not as much as she was. She was absolutely livid and everyone could see it.

A plan formed in Isowen's head, a plan to find the person responsible. She doubted that the knights knew that magic alone could harm a hippogriff, thus they must think it was an animal of some sort. A bear perhaps. It was their ignorance that she was counting on.

"I'm going to find the creature that did this." She declared. The men looked at her in shock. Surely she was mad to even think of finding such a dangerous creature alone.

Arthur stepped forward. "We will search for it as a group. If it cannot be found by nightfall we will return to Camelot and double the patrols. We cannot let this creature harm anyone." The knights all nodded, masking their fear. Whatever had done this was a force to be reckoned with.

They returned to their horses with heightened awareness. Isowen was looking around warily casting out her magic to feel for another human presence. Yet all she could feel were the men around her and very terrified animals that had witnessed the hippogriff's death. She stretched her senses out further until they touched on what she was looking for.

Mounting her horse, Isowen intentionally put herself at the rear of the party, out of everyone's view. As the men started off to the north, Isowen went west, toward the presence that she had felt. Soon she was out of sight and hearing range of the knights, moving swiftly to her unmoving target.

In a clearing stood a pale woman who watched as Isowen came into view. The two women stared at each other in confusion, neither know who the other one was. The woman in the clearing was dressed in a simple yet elegant green gown that flowed to the grass beneath her bare feet. Her light brown hair came down to her waist in soft waves while her grey eyes took in everything, betraying nothing of what lay within. It was not the woman Isowen had been expecting.

They stared at each other for a long while, unsure as to what the other intended to do. With much hesitation, Isowen moved her horse out of the trees. The woman in the clearing yelled something as the horse's hooves touched the grass. Instantly there was a flash of bright light and the animal fell down. Isowen let out a scream as she too fell to the ground. A single thought went through her mind as she lost consciousness, fueled by her magic.

_Merlin._

**A/N: And now is when the story really picks up the pace. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Originally I had intended for Isowen and Morgana to actually meet, but thanks to **KenobiSkywalkerandKoalaBears** I decided to change it. **


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